The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A power conversion device (for example, an inverter) which is one of core components of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle has been developed as a main component of an eco-friendly vehicle. The development of a power module which is another core component of the power conversion device usually takes the very high cost in the field of the eco-friendly vehicle.
A point of a main core technology development of the power module relates to cost savings and enhancement of cooling performance. When the cooling performance of the power module is enhanced, it may be possible to reduce a rated current of a power semiconductor element and to reduce a chip size at the same time, thereby implementing price savings of a chip and a stable operation of the power module.
For enhancing cooling performance of the power module, a liquid-cooling type double-sided cooler, which contacts cooling portions within which cooling liquid flows with upper and lower surfaces of the power module, respectively, is currently used.
In the related art, a liquid-cooling type double-sided cooler adopts a method that forms upper and lower cooling portions. This method makes a cooling tube through an extrusion process and then through a bending process, which enables to contact with upper and lower surfaces of the power module.
Since the liquid-cooling type double-sided cooler in the related art has the same formation of flow paths in a cooling period (contacting with the power module) and in a non-cooling period (not contacting with the power module), cooling efficiency in the cooling period is limited and an unnecessary pressure loss in the non-cooling period, particularly, in the bending process may occur.
Further, in the case that the liquid-cooling type double-sided cooler increases the number of a cooling pin therein so as to enhance cooling efficiency, a size of a flow path may be reduced; and in the bending process, the possibility of narrowing or blocking the flow path may be increased. As a result, a pressure loss is increased, the burden on a cooling liquid pump is also increased, and a risk of blocking the flow path due to impurities is also increased. Further, in the bending process and the following assembly process, the possibility of breaking the cooling tube may be increased as well.
Further, in the related art, cooling efficiency may be reduced due to the difference of the cooling liquid temperature between the divided flow paths as a flow path is evenly divided within the tube.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.